Mudd
by DragonLady99
Summary: What do you get when you mix water and earth? Mudd. my first Avatar fic. Enjoy!
1. Chapter 1

-1Haru listened as the rustling came closer and closer, nearing the sleepy camp. Although it was obscured from his view he knew what it was. _he_ had come.

_crack! _He was closer.

Haru threw his blankets off and rushed outside, searching ferociously for _anything_ that could protect her, for that is what they had come for. They had come to take her from him, _he_ had come to take her from him.

No! with new vigor Haru searched, keeping as quiet as he could in his state. Finally he noticed the spear. He froze. Should he use it? hadn't the fortune teller said that….

Crack!

Ahhh! It didn't matter! He ran to the place were it rested against a crude table that Sokka had made. Remains of their previous meal was still littered across its top. He reached out to grab it but paused and inch away. What if…. No.

Getting in a firm mindset he reached forward and gripped the slender piece of wood.

CRACK!

An explosion of leaves and wind symbolized the arrival of the anticipated guests. He cursed loudly and tried to attack as he faintly heard Katara scream…

_Seven months before…_

"Look Katara! I caught a fish! Look! Look!" the excited air bender squealed. "And its nice and big and-- Katara?"

Aang looked around. Were was she?

"Kaaaataaarrrrraaaa!" Aang called "KATARA!"

_Katara!_

The water bender was faintly aware that Aang was calling her. She was much to busy anyway. Unfortunately she had dropped her mothers necklace into a river she was playing by. Immediately she had frozen it and was now frantically searching for it. She knew the freezing had been a foolish thing to do but the necklace meant so much to her that she couldn't possibly give it up. Katara sighed. Were in the world was it?

Suddenly she caught a faint shimmer in a block of ice at her feet. Aha! There it was! A huge smile played itself onto her lips as she reached down and grasped it.

" I've got to stop losing you!" She said to it while she fastened it on.

Once it was in place she unfroze the river and began to walk back to the camp in reply to her friends urgent calls.

"Alright Aang! I'm com--" immediately she felt it. But it was too late.

Faster than she could catch her breath she found to strong arms wrapped around her waist.

She screamed.


	2. Chapter 2

" Katara!" Aang screamed, as he ran towards the direction from were he had heard her scream. _If anything happens to her, _he thought, _it's my fault._

Feeling he wasn't going fast enough he immediately pulled out his staff and shook it until it changed into a glider. Wasting no time he immediately took off, using his air bending skills to keep the craft aloft, he searched the land furiously for any sign of his companion. When he began to feel he would never find her a huge block of shot past his head, missing it by inches. Letting out a fearful cry he began to plummet to the ground. Very ungracefully he landed in a bush breaking his staff.

He cursed his luck but then remembered the ice he had seen. Instantaneously he shot up from his embarrassing position to see what was going on. There, in the middle of a small clearing stood a very worn out Katara. He was about to rush to her when the next thing he saw froze him in place. Standing there, twin blades at hand, was Jet in all his glory.

" How…?" Aang began

" I knew something was wrong with this forest! I told you but you didn't listen. Its his forest the dirty traitor!" Katara yelled angrily, pointing an accusing finger at her male opponent

" Aw Katara is any way to treat an old friend?" Jet said with a smirk.

" Liar!" She screamed.

The next instant Jet was in the air, dodging the ice shards Katara had bended in his direction. He landed gracefully on the top branch of an oak tree.

" Now Katara, is that the best you can do? I must say I'm a little… disappointed." just as he said that last word he jumped at her with swords in hand.

Aang let out a cry and tried to stand but couldn't when he realized his ankle was broken. With a curse of frustration he raised his head just in time to see Katara barely dodge Jet's attack. He jumped in the air again and did a back flip trying to dodge a block of ice sent in his direction but failed as it slammed into his chest. He fell to his knee's with a gasp as he tried to get some wind back into him. Katara wasted no time and almost instantly sent a barrage of ice towards him, but Jet was too fast for the worn out water bender and did another back flip and landed in the river. A fatal mistake.

Water began to freeze around his legs and upper body as Katara walked towards him with one hand outstretched in his direction.

" Just like old times huh Jet?" she said with a smirk on her own face. When she had reached him he had stopped struggling and was looking away.

" What's wrong? Feeling' beat?"

"By you?" he said, " never." and the ice exploded.

Katara was flown backwards and was momentarily stunned as Jet walked to her. Without any resistance he slowly climbed on top of the wounded Katara, pinning down her arms and legs. He lowered his face towards her and put his mouth to her ear. His breath sent shivers down her spine.

" Just like old times." he said icily.

" KATARA!" Aang screamed as Jet raised one of his swords in the air.

" I love you." he said coldly.

Right then a boulder slammed into Jet, throwing him into the very tree he had perched in moments before. He raised his head and let out a agonized call. (very likely a few of his ribs were broken)

"Who's there?" he called out.

" Never touch Katara again." Katara gasped. She knew that voice…

" You didn't answer me you bastard!" said the frustrated Jet.

" Me?" the stranger replied stepping from the shadows. " My name is Haru."

Yay! I finally put Haru in the story! Lol. Sorry for taking so long to update. School is pure evil I tell you! Lol anyways thank you to all my lovely reviewers! You guys rock out loud!

Love you all,

Me.


	3. Chapter 3

-1I'm not even kidding. I tried to write this chapter THREE TIMES and every time my computer screwed up. You can't blame a girl for getting disheartened!

Jet snarled and kicked the boulder from his chest, wincing as he realized his collision with tree and rock broke a few ribs. But none the less, Jet was easily back on his feet, and this time with a new target.

"Haru!" Katara screamed, running towards him.

"Stop!" Haru yelled out before being tackled to the ground by a VERY pissed off Freedom Fighter.

The two wrestle on the ground childishly for a few second before Jet's knees collide with Haru's chest, sending him backwards into the clearing. Before he has time to recover Jet is upon him, sending slash after slash from his Tiger blades Haru's way. Luckily, each attack is blocked effortlessly by hardened mud or a boulder. Jet's breath becomes labored and his attacks begin to slow. Once he takes a momentary pause to reimburse some strength, a mini mud slide sends him tumbling backwards into the undergrowth. By this time Katara has found the injured Aang in the bush and has healed most of the broken bone. Her face shines as she finds Haru beside her.

"Haru I-"

"How bad is it?" He asks quietly, looking her in the eyes and covering the hand clutching Aang's ankle.

"F-fine. I mean you should be worried about you. You were just fighting and those blades were sharp and you look kind of flustered and I mean are you ok you look-"

A tan finger pressed securely to her lips silences Katara. "I'm fine." He replies smiling.

She smiles nervously in reply before looking down to hide her blush.

Aang scoffs. "Pretty boy."

As Katara looks up to berate Aang her eyes widen.

"Haru look out!"

The earth bender turns just in time to tumble to the side, avoiding a near fatal blow.

"I thought I got rid of you. Didn't your parents ever teach you to pick your fights?" Haru states coolly. Jet's eyes narrow and his chest tightens.

"My parents are dead you arrogant son of a-"

"Katara!"

"Ggrrruuuhhh!"

All three teenagers look up in surprise to see Sokka, Toph and Appa flying towards them.

"Guys! Jet is!-" But even as Katara turns around Jet is behind her, his arms wrapping themselves around her waist.

"I'll find you, and finish this." He hisses in her ear, kissing her neck slowly. The feeling of his cold lips is the last anyone sees of Jet that day.

"Are you guys ok?" Toph asks, jumping to the ground and helping Aang stand up.

"Yeah, just a little shaken." Aang grunts. wincing as Katara finishes up her healing. She stands up slowly, looking angrily and saddly towards the forest where Jet dissapeared.

"Was that…?" Sokka begins to ask.

"I don't understand…" Katara starts, wrapping her arms around herself, her eyes distant and puzzled. "Last time we parted he was so…"

Memories flash back to the water bender of Lake Laogai and the many nightmares after. Confusion quickly fills the rest of her face as she tried to put two and two together. None of this makes any sense.

"Before all of you came, he just kept saying I was nothing, I always was and his near death experience taught him that his before ways were right…" Katara's eyes turn downcast and Haru comes to stand beside her, lifting up her chin to calm her with his eyes.

"That…That…"

"Bastard?" Toph finishes.

"Thank you Toph." Sokka says, grinding his fist slowly into his other palm.

"I don't believe it though. How could he have changed like that again? Maybe he's brainwashed or something?"

"Or he could be with the Di Lee-"

"What about Smellerbee and-"

"The cave exploded. How did they-"

"OH MY GOD WHAT IF-"

"EH HEM."

A sudden throat clearing disturbs the momentary brain storming as Haru steps forward. "I think you guys forgot me?"

"Haru?" Sokka asks blinking.

"Who's this guy?" Toph suspiciously inquires.

"Toph, this is Haru. We met him before in our earlier travels into the Earth Kingdom. Haru this is Toph."

"Pleased to meet you. And Katara, I do believe I deserve a hug for saving your life... Again." Haru says, smiling boyishly.

The water bender giggles and prances over to him mockingly, dramatically throwing her arms around him. They both laugh until his arms sweep her up and swing her around, then her laugh turns to a shriek. Sokka raises an eyebrow at his sister's sudden uncharacteristic girlishness.

"Geez how many boys does this girl have?" Toph whispers behind her hand.

"Too many." Sokka and Aang pronounce together, crossing their arms in unison.

"Yeah well at least this one isn't a deranged psycho." Sokka affirms.

"Who's not a deranged psycho?" Haru asks stepping forward, his arm around Katara's waist.

"You, thank God. We've run into WAY too many as of late." Toph answers bluntly. Haru laughs loudly, a carefree sound.

"Well glad to be of some use." He says bowing sweepingly. Katara giggles again as Aang rolls his eyes and groans.

"More stupid competition." He mutters before jumping onto Appa's back. His furry companion grunts an affirmative. The rest follow and Haru slips his arm again around Katara's waist.

"Pretty friendly aren't you Haru." Katara says, raising an eyebrow.

Haru turns her to face him quickly and meets her eyes with extreme intensity.

"Katara, I let you walk away from me once, and I'm never making that mistake again. That hurt more than I thought anything ever could. I'm not letting you go this time." He says almost matter of factly, pulling her closer. "Not for anything." The moment is shattered by Appa's growl and Aang's impatient yell. Haru smiles and takes Katara by the hand.

"Oh, and by the way, I like the new outfit." He says slyly. Katara is suddenly fully aware of how much stomach the Fire Nation outfit displays.

"T-thanks." She replies, not fully recovered from the before sudden seriousness.

As they walk to the giant bison Katara wonders at Haru's sudden change in attitude. He was certainly bolder, and the amount of carefree joy emitting from him was almost electric. Maybe he had always been this way, and she had just caught him at a bad time before. Or he could just be really happy to see her… She smiles at that idea, her smallish crush on him before returning full force.

"What are you so happy about?" Haru asks.

She shakes her head, a little startled to the fact that they were already air born.

"Uh… Nothing. I just guessed that the reason you were here was that you freed all your kin. And yeah that uh… Makes me happy!" _IDIOT!_

But Haru laughs, erasing her self consciousness.

"I stayed with them for six month, but I wasn't really needed. And as a right of passage my family found it best if I found my own adventures. I spent the better part of three months studying in a small earth bending school, and once I learned all they had to offer I left. The reason I'm here is because I had actually heard you all were in the Fire Nation. I've really just arrived and was on my way to a small village by the mountain over there when I heard you scream. And well, you know the rest." Haru explains.

"Sounds like quite an adventure. I'd like to hear the rest." Katara says, trying to stop herself from gazing at him dreamily. Something about him had her completely star struck this time.

"Well maybe next time we're alone-"

"OK! We're at the town Haru was talking about." Aang interrupts a little too loudly steering them roughly down. Both Toph and Haru grip the saddle more firmly.

"I'll never get used to this. What the use of flying if your-"

"Not on land." Toph finishes. The two smile at each other before the group comes to a complete stop about a mile away from their destination.

"Alright Aang Gang! Lets go to town!" Sokka says jumping from the furry creatures back, boomerang in hand. All four groan at the corny name as they slowly follow.

Haru jogs up to Katara and takes her hand firmly in his. She smiles at him and he squeezes her fingers gently.

_Finally…_

_I didn't know I missed you so much…_


End file.
